Cigarette-box.



T. H. THORNE. CIGARETTE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1909.

Patented Mar. 7,1911.

THOMAS? H. TEORNE, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH'GOLUMBIA, CAliTlADA;

CIGARETTE-BOX.

i Vancouver and Province of' BritishColumbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boxes for holding and serving or detaching cigarettes, or other small. elongated articles, one at a time for ready removal.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an effective device, in a cigarette box which, by hand or finger manipulation may be readily operated for lifting or ejecting cigarettes, one or more at a time for removal, without danger of chafing or breaking the wrapper, or spilling the contents of the box.

Another object is to provide a well closed box in which cigarettes may be safely packed for the trade, without the use of foil, or silver paper, or other packing'material for protecting them. 7

The matter constituting my invention will be defined in the claims.

I will -now describe the details of construction of my improved box by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a cigarette box embodying my invention. Fig." 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 represents an end view. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section. Fig. 5' represents a section of a modification.

The cigarette box 2 is made of card-board or heav paper and is of the kind used in the t'ra e, though my invention may be applied to a special box for pocket use and may be made. of any desired material. One end of the boxis provided with a longitudinal slot 3 adapted fora sliding stud or button, and at the top edge with a short opening 4: for permitting the passage of a single cigarette- In the lower end of the box is fitted a filling or shoulder strip 5 for support-ing the lower ends of the cigarette on 'the same level as the foot piece 12 of the lifting device. The cigarette lifter or ejector 6 1s constructed of a longitudinal sliding stem 7, which may be of card-board, and provided with a hinged portion 8, to the upper end of which is secured a cover 10 having side stays 11. The cover 10 is of the proper size to neatly close the top open- 7 Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Application filed June 3,1909. Serial No. 499,963.

. ratentea Mar. '7, 191 1.

ing l. The card-board stem 7 is transversely V scored or creased to form a hinge 9. The lower end of the sliding stem 7 is made with a foot piece '12 adapted 'for supporting the lower end of a single cigarette. To about the: middle portion of the stem 7 is secured a stud or button 13' by means. of a short shank adapted to pass through slot 3. This stud may be of paper and the inner ends may be simply pasted to the inner face ofstem. 7' as indicated in Fig. 4. A retracting cord 14 is secured by a knot 15 or other means to the end of the box near the top thereof, as shown in Fig; 3, and. near the lower end of the hinged portion 8 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The box is filled with cigarettes a; in any desired manner before closure of the, box, or the cigarettes may be inserted through the opening 4 until. the box' is filled- The box being filled with cigarettes and the lift ing or ejecting device 6 being down, thereby closing the opening 4: by the cover 10, the ejector may be readily raised by the finger pressing upward on stud 13. As the ejector is raised. to its upper limit the retracting cord 14 draws back the hinged portion 8,

as shown in the drawing, freely exposingthe upper end of a cigarette, which may be readily removed without breaking orcrumpling the end. The box being packed and the cover 10 closed down, the latter may be covered with a revenue stamp or other small label pasted over it so that the box may be completely sealed. W'ith this construction and arrangement I may entirely dispense with tin foil or silver paper or any other kind of packing material. After one cigarette has been removed the box may be turned with the end containing the ejector downward so that the next cigarette will rest upon the ejector with its lower end on the foot piece 12 so that it may be lifted and removed as above described.

It will be evident that the box with my lifting or ejecting device is very convenient for serving cigarettes and has a number of advantages in practical use.

While I have shown and described my box as adapted for cigarettes, I wish it un derstood that it may be used for dispensing other elongated articles, cylindrical or other wise, such as cigars, matches, etc. The de tails of construction may also be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The combination with a casing having a top opening for passage of a cigarette and a longitudinal slot in the adjacent end, of a sliding ejector having a stud in the slot, a foot piece for a cigarette, and an upper hinged portion provided with a cover for said top opening, whereby a single cigarette may be raised from the box and its upper end freely exposed for removal Without breaking, substantially as described.

2. A cigarette box comprising a casing having a top opening, for permitting the passage of one cigarette at a time, and alongitudinal slot in the adjacent end, in

combination with a sliding ejector device composed of a stem having a foot piece for one cigarette, a hinged upper portion provided with a cover for closing said top opening and a stud working in said slot, and a'retraeting cord connecting with the wall of the box and with said hinged portion of the stem for drawing it back, whereby a cigarette may be raised and the'upper end freely exposed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. THOMAS H. THORNE.

Witnesses: t

F. G. CRIcHMAY, JoHN S. RANKIN. 

